


Hiraeth

by sunlightbender



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Homeless, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Attempts at being poetic, Fluff and Smut, Homelessness, Interviews, Journalism, Love, M/M, Probably failed attempts but attempts, Sex, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-04
Updated: 2017-06-29
Packaged: 2018-11-09 01:28:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11094039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlightbender/pseuds/sunlightbender
Summary: The great legendary hero Percy Jackson, has been homeless for two years. He doesn't want pity. Doesn't need it. He's not homeless. Home stopped being home a long time ago. They say home isn't four walls, it's two eyes and a heartbeat, but when that heartbeat stops, you lose your home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Just a Fairytale](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8037043) by [GoldenEmpire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenEmpire/pseuds/GoldenEmpire). 



Percy preferred the word vagabond. He didn’t like considering himself homeless, as accurate as that description may be. It sounded weak, desperate, pathetic, needy, and Percy knew he was anything but. If anything, he was too strong, too composed, too admirable, and too independent for his own good.

 

After all, it was mainly his pride that kept him from going to a shelter and getting help. He didn’t need help. He could turn his life around if he wanted to. If he really wanted to make the effort, he could have a full stomach, an apartment with a decent bathroom and a job within a week. The fact, however, was that he didn’t want to.

 

* * *

 

 

Jason Grace didn’t know why he’d made such a drastic change. After his five years of studying psychology and sociology all throughout high school and his first year of college and excelling in them, getting straight A’s, he was unsure what made him switch his major to journalism of all things. Perhaps it was just the thought of going against what his parents wanted, the thought of rebelling for the first time in his life and doing what he wanted, perhaps that was what made him switch his major.

 

* * *

 

 

In his two years of being a vagabond, he was sure he’d seen it all. He’d seen the little kids point and stare, he’d had people try to give him their half-eaten lunch as if he was some sort of animal or trash can and he’d had people give him spare change only to see their surprised faces when he refused it. He wasn’t a pity party. He didn’t need anyone’s help. He managed fine on his own.

 

 He’d nick a couple of dollars a day from the wishing fountain or he’d break into the local McDonalds after hours and make himself something to eat (seriously, they had an awful security system. No alarm, just a cheap padlock on the door. Which was good for him, since he didn’t think a couple of burger patties would affect one of the biggest companies in the world and he still had enough morality not to steal from a small, independent business.)

 

Today, however, he was surprised. A young man who looked no older than twenty, probably a college student, blonde hair and blue eyes and a scar across his lip, walked up to him with a notebook in hand, looking at him hopefully.

 

“Could I please get an interview?” the boy asked, his voice almost pleading.

 

 Percy just blinked at him, shrugging before nodding, “Sure. Why not?”

 

* * *

 

 

Jason had soon discovered that his journalism teacher was far too excited about projects. Alongside their regular schoolwork, he gave his students a project on the first of every month and they had the rest of the month to complete the project in their own time.

 

The first month’s project was about the effects of deforestation in the US. That one was easy, one of Jason’s best friends, Piper, was practically the definition of a tree-hugging hippie. The second month’s project was about cultural misrepresentation in media. Despite being the whitest white boy he could be, Jason found that pretty easy too, since practically all his friends were from different cultures. The third month’s project, however, Jason found difficult. The theme of this month’s project was ‘The Causes of Rapidly Increasing Homelessness in Northern America.’

 

Now that seriously confused Jason. How was he supposed to know the causes of homelessness? Almost everyone in the class was going to homeless shelters and interviewing people there, so that was out of the question. He didn’t want to do the exact same thing everyone else was doing. He wanted to do something different, wanted to stand out to increase his chances of getting a good grade. That was what gave him the idea of interviewing the homeless people that lived out on the streets. Besides, even as a child he’d always been curious as to why people on the street never went to shelters.

 

The first day of interviewing was predictable. A few women, a few old men, a few kids who were his age or less. They were all on the streets for predictable reasons; drugs, alcohol abuse, jail time, being gay in homophobic families. Sad, but nothing Jason hadn’t expected. They didn’t go to shelters because of similar reasons. No shelters nearby, shelters were always too full, they didn’t know of any shelters. As Jason interviewed them, they became nothing but words on paper, stories, not people.

 

It wasn’t until Jason interviewed the last person of the day, a tall, tan man with black hair and bright green eyes, a dark and shaggy beard making it difficult to discern his age. From the moment Jason began speaking to him, he knew that he wouldn’t be just a story. He was different. He was a person.

 

* * *

 

 

“What’s your name?” the blonde boy spoke, looking up at Percy.

 

“My name?” Percy replied shakily, hesitating. Shit. The first question and he was already stuck. He didn’t want anyone knowing his real name. He’d be a laughing stock, the great and mighty Percy Jackson a vagabond who hadn’t showered in weeks.

 

The boy nodded, frowning at him, “Yeah. Your name. Would you prefer I went first? My name is Jason Grace. I’m a sophomore at Olympia College and I’m a journalism major. This is actually my journalism project.”

 

Percy stared at him for a moment, unsure of how to react to that information. He smiled slightly upon remembering how he’d started his first year of college, remembering his teachers. Miss Athena, the headmistress who constantly tried to expel him because he was dating her daughter. Miss Aphrodite, the literature teacher everyone knew was cheating on her husband to shag Sir Ares, the gym coach during free lessons. How could he forget Mr. D, his alcoholic history teacher who was constantly too hungover to get his name right…

 

“Peter Johnson.” Percy blurted out, grinning at the fond memories of what seemed like so long ago, “My name is Peter Johnson.”

 

The boy – Jason – nodded with a smile, writing that down on his notebook.

 

“Nice to meet you, Peter. The interview shouldn’t take long, okay? I’m just going to ask you a few questions, you don’t have to answer any you’re not comfortable with, though the more answers the better, of course. Can I start?”

 

Percy hesitated, surprised that Jason was speaking to him like he would a normal person. He slowly nodded again, “Yeah. Go ahead.”


	2. Chapter 2

“So, Peter, how long have you been on the streets?” Jason asked, his voice soft and it was clear the boy was making a conscious effort not to be condescending.

 

Percy frowned, picking at the skin of his palm nervously, “About two years now. By choice.”

 

Jason raised an eyebrow at him, looking at him curiously, “By choice..?”

 

Percy nodding in affirmation, “By choice. One of my friends is Italian royalty, his father is a billionaire. If I wanted, I could be living in a mansion within an hour.”

 

Jason blinked at him, stunned, “You… what? You’re kidding, right? Why would you choose to live on the street when you could be living in a mansion?”

 

“Don’t want to be thankful to or dependent on anyone else. I’d rather be on the streets than owe something to someone.” Percy replied with a shrug.

 

“What about a job then? Or a shelter? Have you ever considered going to a shelter or getting a job?”

 

Percy hummed in thought, shaking his head, “No, not really. Too prideful to go to a shelter, I suppose. No point in working hard. Look, if I’m going to have a shitty, miserable life either way, what’s the point in trying hard? It’s not like I have anyone to impress anyways. My mom’s dead. My dad left when I was a kid. I’m an only child…kind of. My little brother left to go live with his girlfriend and never bothered keeping in contact anymore and my ex-girlfriend had panic attacks whenever she saw me. All of my friends left when I came out as gay except for that one friend I told you about, and he only stayed because he’s gay too and he gets it. Nobody left for me to impress. No point in trying, really.”

 

For a second, Jason froze. Then he frowned and was silent for a while before speaking silently, “Me and you have similar stories. It’s strange we have such different outlooks to life.”

 

Percy snorted in amusement, raising an eyebrow at him, “What could me and you ever have in common, blondie?”

 

“My parents don’t speak to me unless they need someone to yell at or blame. They might as well have been dead. I’m practically an only child too, my elder sister left with her friends, she never bothers to even call. I see her once a year at most. My ex-girlfriend doesn’t have panic attacks just looking at me, but she has said she can’t even bear to look at me anymore even though we’d been best friends for ten years. Oh, and also, I lost my place in student council because I came out as bi, almost everyone who used to suck up to me now pretends I don’t exist apart from my two friends, and both of them are in the community too.” Jason replied with forced nonchalance, his voice more robotic than it had been for the entire interview.

 

Percy blinked at him in surprise before nodding, “Well, shit. I guess you’re right. Didn’t really think I’d have much in common with a rich college kid.”

 

Jason cleared his throat awkwardly, “Alright. Let’s just move onto the next question. Don’t you ever think about the future? Don’t you want to get married and have kids and send them to school and fancy colleges?”

 

Percy shrugged, sighing, “Not really. Like I said, I realized I was gay after my ex-girlfriend dumped me. Can’t really have kids with a boy. Besides… parenthood scares me shitless. I’m probably just going to die alone soon. Doesn’t really matter what I do until then. It’s just a waiting game right now.”

 

“What are you waiting for?” Jason questioned with a frown.

 

“Death.”

 

Jason only frowned further but wrote everything down in his notebook, nodding and standing up, “Thank you for the interview, Peter. I’m sure it’ll help.”

 

Jason held out his hand for Percy to shake and Percy stared at him in disbelief. Most people were afraid he’d touch them and this rich college kid was voluntarily offering to touch him. Hesitantly, Percy reached out and took his hand, shaking it.

 

“Any time, Jason.”

 

“Peter, do you generally just stay in this part of town?”

 

“I… well no, I wander, but I do generally come back here at night. Why do you ask?” Percy questioned curiously, raising an eyebrow at him.

 

Jason just smiled and shook his head, “No reason. I’d better get going. Thank you once again, Peter.”

 

That was all he said before he waved at Percy and took off walking again.

 

While Percy was still curious as to why Jason had asked that, he didn’t question it. In fact, he nearly forgot about it until the next morning, when he awoke with a small, plain gift box next to him.

 

 At first, he thought it must be empty. His curiosity got the best of him as he opened the box to see a large children’s book with glossy pages and bright illustrations, a red velvet cupcake and a small note.

 

His second thought was that it wasn’t for him. But as he picked up the note and read the loopy cursive (Gods, his dyslexia was a mess with cursive. Even the simple note took him ten minutes to decipher.) he realized it was intended for him.

 

The note read, ‘To: Peter Johnson. From: Jason Grace. Thank you for your help. The book and the cupcake are my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.’

 

Percy stared at the box, shaking his head in disbelief. His first thought was to keep the book and throw the cupcake away. It was food, after all, and Percy wasn’t needy, he wasn’t going to accept food from someone he barely knew. Eventually, however, his stomach got the best of him. It wasn’t that he was hungry, he managed. It was just that a cupcake was too much of a delicacy for him to bother ever getting.

 

 In fact, both of Jason’s presents had been so… impractical that Percy didn’t feel pitied. Surprisingly enough, he truly felt as if Jason was thankful for his help. Despite how ridiculous that notion was, it cheered Percy up and he nibbled at the cupcake before opening up the book and beginning to slowly read it.


	3. Chapter 3

Percy may have accepted Jason’s present, but he wasn’t about to take it for granted. He wanted to pay him back somehow, he did. The problem was that he didn’t know where Jason lived and he wasn’t going to be a creepy stalker and look up his name in the Yellow Pages or follow him home from his college. Percy had practically given up the idea of paying Jason back somehow until he saw the blond college student walk up to him again a week later.

 

Jason was grinning as he walked up to Percy, holding out his graded assignment to him.

 

“I got full marks! My professor said he was going to give me a B until he read your interview. He wants to meet you.” Jason said excitedly, Percy smiling at him in response.

 

“Good job, I’m sure you deserved the marks. Thank you for the cupcake and the book, by the way. I wanted to pay you back but I didn’t know if I’d ever get to see you again.”

 

Jason almost looked guilty at Percy’s words for some reason Percy couldn’t understand, “Yeah. I suppose you couldn’t have known. You don’t need to pay me back, though. I gave that stuff to you to thank you.”

 

Percy shook his head with a frown, “I don’t take without giving back. What were you saying about your professor?”

 

“He wants to meet you. He wants a proper, formal interview with you. Please say you’ll do it, I’ll get bonus marks if you agree. Plus, they’ll pay you.”

 

Percy’s face immediately scrunched at that and he shook his head, “I don’t do anything for money.”

 

Jason huffed, giving Percy a look, “I never said you did. Fine, don’t take the money if you don’t want, but please just give the interview. Please?”

 

For some strange reason, Percy found himself agreeing.

 

The interview was held a week later and Percy still used his fake name. He was given five hundred dollars just for the short interview and he accepted the money, solely for the reason that he wanted to pay Jason back for the gift he had given him. And he had tried, he truly had, but Jason was almost as stubborn as Percy was, the blonde had absolutely refused to let Percy give him any money back.

 

That only left Percy one choice. That same day, he bought Jason a basket of his favorite childhood snacks and left it with the college receptionist, who promised to give it to him when she saw him.

 

The next morning, Percy awoke to another gift box from Jason.

 

In some strange way, it became a sort of a habit. Percy would buy Jason a present and drop it off to the school in the morning, Jason would leave Percy a gift box at night. After a few days, however, the same day that Percy finally told Jason his real name, the interview money was running out and Percy wasn’t about to let Jason give the last gift.

 

That day, Percy Jackson did the unthinkable. He finally called Nico di Angelo and took him up on that job his father had offered him all those months ago.

 

* * *

 

 

Jason Grace was surprised, to say the least. For about a week, he and Percy had been exchanging presents for a solid week before one night, he had gone to give Percy his present, only to find that area abandoned.   
  
To say Jason was hurt was an understatement. He’d enjoyed the gift exchange with Percy and he looked forward to reading the daily letter Percy gave him. It was to the point where he had begun to think that perhaps he was becoming friends with him, so to see Percy just leave like that had hurt. It had hurt bad.

 

* * *

 

 

For one week, Percy didn’t contact Jason. It was the most productive week of his life. The day he accepted the offer was the day he realized he should’ve accepted it the first day he was offered the job. It was the ideal job, and he knew he would never have gotten it if he hadn’t known Nico from way back before his time in the army.

 

The job wasn’t much to brag about, all he really had to do was help out in the stables during the mornings and evenings and help in the kitchens during mealtimes, and maybe sometimes play Mythomagic with Nico when he was bored, but there was a reason everyone wanted to work for Haley di Angelo. He was paid a crazy amount of money. A ridiculous amount, really, but he knew how rich the di Angelos were, he wasn’t going to refuse the money. Besides being paid well, Percy was given a room and a bathroom in the di Angelo mansion.

 

He’d gone to the di Angelo mansion in the evening, before dinner, just to have a day to settle in before he began working and he’d shocked himself by how much he ate. Having a hot, delicious home cooked meal was something he’d forgotten, and he devoured it like a starving man, having seconds, thirds and fourths.

 

 The first night he tried to go to bed, he couldn’t sleep, the bed being far too soft for him to get comfortable. That night, he slept on the floor, completely exhausted, never having gotten a good night’s sleep in the last two years. The next morning when he awoke, he was repulsed by himself. He felt filthy. He wanted to scrub his skin off. He still had a few hours before he began his first day of work.

 

With a sigh, Percy headed to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes and threw them away and then stepped into the shower. He stayed in the shower for an hour and a half, scrubbing at his skin with all the fancy shower gels until the water ran clear and his skin looked like it would bleed if he rubbed it any more. He shampooed his hair four times until he finally felt clean, washing his face with five different face washes after that.

 

When he was finally satisfied with his hygiene, he stepped out of the shower and looked at himself in the mirror for the first time in years and the disgust he felt for himself returned. The hair on his head, body and face looked unkempt, wild and strange. He was unrecognizable to himself, save for his bright green eyes. He searched the bathroom cabinets for a pair of scissors, finding an electric razor instead and shaving everything off, leaving only the hair on his head, which he then trimmed down himself with a pair of scissors he’d found in his room.

 

Seeing all the tufts of hair on the floor made him nauseous, but that nausea was taken aback with awe when he looked into the mirror. He looked like a completely different person than he did just an hour before. He felt clean. He felt young. He felt capable. He stared at himself in the mirror for a while, just examining himself before he swept up the hair on the floor, got dressed in some of the simple clothes Nico had made sure to keep in his dresser and then headed downstairs to work.

 

* * *

 

 

A week passed and Jason had stopped asking the receptionist if she had anything for him. Today, however, as he was heading to his first class of the day, the receptionist stopped him, handing him a small piece of paper.

 

“Jason, hey. Sorry I haven’t been in contact. Come over. We can talk. –Percy Jackson.”

 

Underneath that, Percy had written an address. Jason blinked at in surprise before smiling and pocketing the note.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was mainly plot and not as much dialogue or interaction. I was going to have this fic be only three chapters but I think I'm going to need to write a fourth chapter as I'm not done with this fic yet but I did want to post an update soon. Next chapter will probably have smut and be the last (though I might write an epilogue later.) Please bear with me for going slowly, I have to move in less than a month and my mind is kind of in shambles right now. I'll try to get the next chapter up by next week though, hopefully. Anyways, hope you enjoy this.


	4. Chapter 4

Surprised was an understatement when Jason walked to the address Percy had given him only to see a huge mansion there, four security guards standing in front of the door. He was confused, yes, and he knew it probably wasn’t smart to go inside, but his curiosity got the best of him. He took a deep breath before he walked up to the guards.

 

It only took his name and ID for the guards to let him in, a startlingly beautiful man walking up to him to lead him inside. For a few seconds, Jason couldn’t recognize him. Chiseled features. Short, dark stubble to match his short, dark hair. He was tall and broad and stood confidently upright, grinning at Jason. It wasn’t until Jason saw his eyes that he recognized him. Bright emerald green eyes with a mischievous glint in them.

 

“Percy?” Jason asked softly, staring at him with wide eyes, the man laughing and nodding.

 

“Yeah, it’s me. I look different, I know. I surprised myself too.” Percy replied with a smile, leading him inside and down the endless halls to a large room, Jason being to stunned to take the beauty of the building in.

 

“But… you… how…?” Jason just questioned blankly, Percy going to sit down on the couch in his room, laughing softly.

 

“It’s… it’s a long story. Do you have the time for it? If you do, we can relax and talk over a cup of tea. I’ll explain everything.”

 

* * *

 

 

Percy had expected a lot of Jason’s reactions. The shock, the pity, the confusion, the relief. What he hadn’t expected was for Jason to ask him out to lunch. That had been a bit of a shock to the raven haired man. He wasn’t going to let Jason one up him like that, however. The day they met for lunch, Percy invited Jason to go riding with him, Nico and Nico’s fiancé. It was obvious from Jason’s expression that he hadn’t expected that. From that time, it had become a sort of competition for them to invite each other to another date first at the end of one date.

 

Percy had been surprised with what a gentleman Jason was. From what he remembered from dating Annabeth, love was supposed to be lighthearted, fun, like just constantly having a best friend with you. Being in love with Jason was different. It opened up painful feeling and memories for Percy but it was grounding. It made Percy crave to just let go and relax and just let someone else take care of him. It made Percy crave things he knew it was too early for; marriage, kids, growing old together. Sex wasn’t something Percy had thought about yet. It just wasn’t a priority for him. Jason didn’t seem in any rush to have sex, and Percy wasn’t about to push him.

 

* * *

 

 

It was on their eleventh date that Jason felt it. The realization of what it was made Jason stop for a minute and just stare at Percy, squeezing his hand gently.

 

“Jason, what’s up? You’re looking all doe eyed at me.” Percy questioned curiously, a hint of teasing in his voice as he pulled Jason close.

 

Jason looked up at him and smiled, kissing him gently, “I just… I just realized how much I love you. I really really love you, Percy Jackson.”

 

Percy blinked at him in surprise before grinning, “I love you too, Jason Grace. A lot.”

 

* * *

 

 

It was their fifteenth date when Jason’d initiated sex. He didn’t speak much, just quietly leading Percy to his bedroom and slowly undressing him, laying him down on the bed before he’d taken Percy’s length into his mouth, Percy letting out a surprised, muffled moan, the unfamiliar sensation overwhelming to him. He let Jason continue, doing his best to hold back. Just as he felt he wouldn’t be able to control himself any more, Jason pulled away from his length, slowly undressing himself as well, Percy staring at his toned body in awe.

 

Jason was silent as he got a small bottle out from his nightstand, finally speaking as he looked up at Percy, his voice gentle and soft, “Would you like to top or bottom? Or neither?”

 

Percy blinked at him sheepishly in surprise, shrugging, “Whichever. I’ve never bottomed before though and I think that if you touch my dick again, I’m going to cum in an instant. So… bottom?”

 

Jason hummed in agreement, getting a condom from his side table drawer and putting it on before squirting some lube out of the bottle onto his fingers, slowly inserting one into Percy. It felt strange, Percy had to admit, but not painful. Jason slowly worked his way up from one finger and by the time he had put in the third one, Percy had begun to feel the pleasurable burn as he let out small whines and whimpers, pushing down on Jason’s fingers.

 

Eventually, Jason had pulled his fingers out in favor of pushing his length into Percy. That had been all it took for Percy to cum, splattering the white fluid over both of their chests. He looked up at Jason worriedly, afraid that he’d be upset that he’d cum so quickly but when he looked up at him, Jason was just grinning dopily at him, pulling out and cuddling Percy close, his voice soft.

 

“Percy Jackson, I’m so in love with you.” Jason whispered gently, running his fingers through his hair, Percy smiling at him.

 

“Jason Grace, I want to marry you someday.” He whispered right back, Jason smiling at him and cuddling him close.

 

Percy Jackson had endured a lot of pain in his life. But at this moment, everything was perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO FINALLY I FINISHED THIS. I'm sorry it took so long but I hope you enjoyed this. Please please please leave requests in the comments below as to what you'd like me to write next, and thank you for reading!


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